Reservoir Dogs Motorcycle Club starts their collection for a group of Torrington area charities

Santa Claus joined the one percenter bikers Saturday and put on his Reservoir Dogs vest for a good cause. The motorcylce club held its annual toy, food and money drive at the corner of Main and East Elm streets.
RICKY CAMPBELL/ Register Citizen

TORRINGTON >> Black leather and "1%" motorcycle patches met Santa Claus and holiday music Saturday at the intersection of Main and East Elm streets.

The Reservoir Dogs Motorcycle Club held its annual holiday drive, benefiting Friendly Hands Food Bank, Christmas Village and St. Jude's Children's Hospital with monetary donations, toys and non-perishable food. The club's near-decade collection has become a holiday tradition for the bikers and the community.

"It's all of them," said club member Manville, who, for the purpose of this article gave his Reservoir Dog name. "Everything we get, everything we give to organizations, it's [the community]."

The one day event of taking donations transpires into different days of dispersing the collected goods to the three nonprofit organizations. The motorcycle brotherhood will continue to take donations throughout the holiday season, if they're dropped off at Reservoir Dogs club on Fairmont Avenue.

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And while bikers are stereotypically given a connotation of rough, tough and violent, the one percent at the Reservoir Dogs look to the annual holiday drive as a way to reach out.

"We're good guys," Manville said, sporting his leather vest and standing side-by-side with Don, dressed as a biker Santa Claus. "It's just our way to help. We don't have millions of dollars, but we have this, and we want to help."

The club, which has been in northwest Connecticut since 1997, has passed the tradition down from member to member. "It's something we always do. We enjoy it," Don said.